DMZ Peace Train Music Festival begins

DMZ Peace Train Music Festival poster. Courtesy of DMZ Peace Train Music Festival Bureau.

By Dong Sun-hwa

The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival is on until Sunday in Seoul and Cherowon, a border city in Kangwon Province near North Korea.

With Korea divided, the aim is to use music to appreciate freedom and peace beyond nations, politics, economies, ideologies or race.

Some conferences and showcase events are being held today (Friday), while on Saturday and Sunday, 34 groups from seven countries will have gigs on the train, which departs from Seoul for Cheorwon.

Korean musicians including Lee Seung-hwan and Sunwoo Jung-a play, as will legendary English bassist Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols and English singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner.

Martin Elbourne, an internationally acclaimed performing arts promoter from England, suggested such a festival after visiting the DMZ last year.

Check dmzpeacetrain.com or fb.com/dmzpeacetrain for additional information.